ILONEN KEEPS UP THE PACE

Finland's Mikko Ilonen remained on course for a wire-to-wire victory midway through the final round of the Irish Open on Sunday.

Ilonen took a one-shot lead over England's Danny Willett into the last day at Fota Island and had doubled it by the turn thanks to birdies on the second and fourth.

Willett, who had a hole-in-one in his course record 63 on Saturday, had got off to a poor start with a bogey on the third after failing to get up and down from a greenside bunker, but bounced back immediately with a birdie on the next.

And another birdie on the ninth took the former English amateur champion into the back nine in outright second, one ahead of home favourite Graeme McDowell, France's Gregory Bourdy and England's Matthew Baldwin.

Looking to deliver a home winner for the massive crowds, McDowell had carded one birdie and nine pars in his first 10 holes, frustratingly three-putting for par on the fourth after finding the green in two.

England's Chris Wood had set the clubhouse target on 10 under par after a closing 66.